Add milk to ice-cream, cut out the egg yolks and what do you get? Gelato, Italy’s dense-and-creamy alternative. Look for an elastic texture—good gelato should follow your tongue to the last moment with every lick—and powerful, condensed flavors. Here’s how we rate Bangkok’s biggest brands on their chocolate gelato.

Despite actually coming from Italy, this gelato shop’s chocolate treat comes in dead last on the list due to its icy texture. The saddest part is not how quickly it melts, but rather the watery taste and consistency when placed next to its rivals. Verdict: More ice than cream.252/5 Silom Rd., 087-811-6462. Open daily 11:30am-11pm. www.ghignonigelato.com

Gelate (B65)

Eliciting mild shrugs from our tasters, this gelato tastes only faintly of chocolate and more like Ovaltine malt. That kind of thing might play well to the After You generation, but we prefer our cocoa to have an indulgent, rich flavor. Verdict: Meh.CentralWorld 3/F, 081-801-3324. Open daily 10am–10pm. www.fb.com/gelatelovers

Minito Gelato (B55)

The texture might be creamy and smooth, but the flavor is muted. Light? Yes. Not too rich? Also, yes, which means unlike Crema, you can enjoy more than one scoop. Verdict: Pleasant enough.222/146 Vibhavadi Rd., 095-561-5168. Open daily 6am-6pm. www.fb.com/minitogelato

Is it just us, or do they sneak some booze into the mixture at Ampersand? There’s a definite liqueur-like taste to this chocolate offering. It’s not too icy—and is actually the slowest-melting of the bunch—but doesn’t quite have the perfectly elastic texture of a good gelato. Verdict: Cream with a kick.283/6 First Floor, Unit 0104, Thonglor 13, 062-652-4141. Open Daily 10-10pm. www.ampersandgelato.com